Improvement in permutation locks



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

T. J. SUL LQYE'A Improvement in Permutation Locks.

Patented Nov. 12, 1872.

t//l%ummt TIMOTHY J. SULLIVAN, or ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PERMUTATION LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,936, dated November 12, 1872.

. 1b all whom it may concern:

a description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the lock with the operating parts thrown into a locked position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the operating parts, illustrating the same in the act of unlocking. Fig. 3 illustrates the operating parts in position when unlocked. Fig. 4 is a view of the lock from above, with the top of the case removed. Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the same taken at line N o. 1 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the mannerof setting up a combination. Fig. 7 is a face view of one of the tumblers, with the spring removed, illustrating the helical key-hole;

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain improvements in permutation locks, provided with notched tumblers, actuated by a knob bearing a circle of numbers exterior to the lock, and is designed as an improvement on the locks previously secured by Letters Patent to myself; and consists in the combination of a conical connecting-hub (provided with a flange on its exterior end) and a nut with the case of the lock, bearing a screw-threaded projection, (corresponding with an annular screw-thread recess made in the connecting end of the said conical hub,) so as to be capable of securing the lock-case firmly to the door the object of this part of the invention being to effect an attachment of the lock to the door in a precise position and in a secure manner. It also consists in the combination of a tapering-formed spindle with a conical connecting-hub, having a central hole tapering to correspond with the said spindle, connecting with the case by a screw-thread projection formed solid with the same, and a nut, in such a manner that the said spindle will be fully protected from injury by the connectin g-l1ub, and the tapering form of the spindle and the hole in the hub will serve to prevent the spindle from being shoved in the object of this part of the invention being to protect the knob-spindle from being broken or driven inward by any force which may be applied. It also consists in the combination of a washer-nut with the tapering spindle, annular recessed end of the conical hub, and the screw-threaded projection, made solid with the case of the lock, whereby the said nut will be made to act as a collar to the said spindle, to work between the faces of both the bottom of the said recess and the screwthreaded projection, and thereby prevent all longitudinal play of the spindle. It further consists of the combination of an oscillating lever (provided with a catch on its loose end and a cam-head, located between the said catch and its pivot or shaft, and supported by a spring) with a disk provided with a cam and a lever carrying a dog, in such a manner that, when the said disk is turned to bring the said cam in contact with the cam-head made with the oscillating lever, the catch on the loose end of the same will be made to disengage with the end of the lever carrying the dog and permit its being thrown up to lift the dog out from the notches in the tumbler of the look. It also consists in the combination of the above-described oscillating lever with the lever carrying a dog, disk bearing triple cams and a crank-pin, and a draw-bar provided with a cam; and all so arranged that, by a proper movement to a certain distance of the disk carrying triple cams and crank-pin, the catch on the oscillating lever will be made to disengage from the lever carrying the dog simultaneously with the lifting up of the drawbar and the said lever, and just prior to the throwing back of the draw-bar; and when the said disk is made to make a still further movement the said oscillating lever will be made to carry its catch back to fall beneath the end of the lever carrying the dog, and support the said dog above the tumbler, and also the drawbar above the action of the cams and pin intended to act with the said draw-bar. It further consists in the combination of several cams and a crank-pin with the said oscillating lever and draw-bar, in such a manner that one of the said cams will be capable of acting on the said oscillating lever, while another cam will act on the draw-bar for a longer period of time, to allow the crank-pin to engage with knob, as shown.

the draw-bar to effect the throw of the bolt. It further consists in the combination of a circular spring carrying a detaining-pin, in combination with a tumbler provided with lateral holes corresponding with the said detainingpin and a helical-formed key-hole, whereby the detaining-pin attached to the spring will be made to engage with or disengage from the lateral hole, according to the position of the key-bit on the surface of the said helical hole; the object of this part of my invention being to effect, in an easy and gradual manner, the raising of the spring carrying the detainingpin. And, finally, it consists in the combination of a setting-up key, having a number of bits corresponding with the number of tumblers used, with tumblers having circular springs, each carrying a detaining-pin en gaging with lateral holes made in the said tumblers, whereby each of the said bits will be capable of raising their individual correspondin g spring as the key is being turned; the object of this part of my invention being to prevent any excessive abrasion of the parts of the key or key-holes in contact, and cause each bit to sustain independently the pressure of its own spring.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, I will proceed to describe it, having reference to the drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawing, A represents the case of the lock. B is a sleeve made solid with the said case A, on the inner portion of which sleeve the tumblers have their bearings, while to the outer portion of the said sleeve is secured, by a screw-thread, the hub O, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. By thus forming the said sleeve solid with the case, not only the cost of the construction of the lock is reduced, but the sleeve is rendered stronger to protect the knob-spindle and the tumblers against any violent wrenching to which the lock may be subjected. O is the connecting-hub, which is made with a conical form throughout its entire length, though it may be made so only in part. The said .hub is made of steel, and properly tempered, and is connected with the case A of the lock by a screw-thread formed in an annular recess cut in the small end of the hub, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. On the periphery of the small end of the said hub,

and next to the case A, is the nut D, which is also made of steel, and tempered. The outer end of the hub is provided with a recessed flange, b, Fig. 5, which is to receive the usual graduated circle of numbers, made with the The space between the nut D and the recessed flange b is made of alength equal to the intended thickness of the door,

and the said hub is intended to nicely lit and fill a correspondingly-made hole in the same, in which the said hub will be tightly drawn by the nut when screwed up tightly to its place. The connecting-hub G is centrally bored with a tapering hole, to receive the tapering spindle E of the graduated numbered knob F. By this arrangement the lock is secured to the door firmly and in such a manner that no force or manipulation from the outside can be possibly exerted to affect the safety of the look within; and the knobspindle is amply protected from injury. The knob spindle E is secured in its place by means of the washer-nut c, which screws on the said spindle against a shoulder made on the same, and works in the annular recess made in the small end of the connecting-hub, with its back against the plain face of the same, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, while the face of the said nut works against the end of the screw-threaded projection a,made solid with the case and forming a part of the sleeve B, as shown. This manner of securing the said spindle in place prevents all possibility for longitudinal play to the same, and also gives a greater freedom for an easy revolving of the spindle, and obviates the necessity ot binding in its place by means of the usual cam-plate or its nut. The several circular tumblers G G have their bearings on the sleeve B, while the disk H, bearing the triple cam c c 0, is secured to the knob-spindle E by the nut d and the key (1 in the usual manner, thus rendering the said disk capable of being revolved with the graduated numbered knob F from the outside of the look, while the tumblers are free to be revolved on the sleeve 13 in the usual manner. The tumblers G G are each provided with engaging pins 0, projecting from each side, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7. Said pins are in a circular range with each other, so that when any one of the said tumblers is turned its pin will at the end of a revolution engage with the pin of its contiguous tumbler to revolve the same in like direction. The said tumblers G G are revolved by the outside knob F by means of the pin 6, Fig. 6, set in the cam-disk H, engaging with the pin 6 of the first tumbler, and so on in the usual manner. The usual notches f are made in the periphery of the tumblers, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 7, which notches are to receive the usual dog when the several notches are in range. I is a lever lying horizontal, and pivoted at g, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Attached to the said lever I is the dog h, which is intended to engage with the several notches ff in the tumblers when the said tumblers are set for unlocking the lock. The said doglever I is provided with a fixed pin, '5, at or near its free end, which pin works in a slotted bearing in the draw-bar M and the free end of the said lever is also provided with a notch, s, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. J is the oscillating lever, standing vertically and forward of the disk H, and turns on the spindle k, which is secured to the case A. Made with the said oscillating lever is the hollow arm K, (which arm receives the spindle 7a,) carrying the cam K, to the under side of which is secured the spring I, the loose end of which presses on the hub of the rock-shaft N. Near midway on the oscillating lever J is placed the cam-head m facing the cam c of the disk H with which the said cam-head is to engage to throw the lever J back. The upper end of the said lever J is provided with a catching-lip, o, made to correspond with the notch s in the end of the dog-lever I, with which it is to engage, when the dog It is thrown into the notches ff in the tumblers, and from which notch s the said lip .v is disengaged when the cam c is made to act on the cam-head m of the lever J, and the cam 0 acts upon the draw-bar M, as shown in Fig. 2. When the cam c of the disk H is thrown down past the cam-head m, as shown in Fig. 1, the said catching-lip c of the lever J is thrown toward the end a:- of the dog-lever I and strikes beneath the said end to support the same and hold the dog h, attached to the said lever, out of the notches ff of the tumblers G G, and also the draw-bar from contact with the disk H and its cams, when the bolt of the lock is thrown out in the locked position, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby securely preventing the dog from engaging with the notches in the tumblers when they are being revolved through the medium of the disk H and the outside knob F. M is the draw-bar, the forward end of which is pivoted at n to the rock-shaft N which is to efiect the movement of the bolt 0 in either direction when the same is operated. The said draw-bar M is provided at about midway of its length with the slot 0, which receives the pin 2' fixed in the dog-lever I, to make the said drawbar ride with the same, when the catch '17 of the lever J is made to engage under the end a: of the dog-lever, as before described. The rear end of the said draw-bar is provided with a cam-head, p, which is intended to engage with the cams c 0, when the disk H is revolved, to throw the same up when the dog h is not held up by the co-operation of the oscillating lever J with the dog-lever I. The disk H is provided with the crank-pin q,-which works into the notch 1 made in theunder side of the draw-bar M, as shown, to throw the same forward or back, as the case may be, when the oscillating lever is in position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thereby throw the bolt 0 out or in, as the case may be. The said drawbar, when thown up, engages at its extreme end with the stop t, as shown in Fig. 1. The triple cams with their respective cam-heads, the crank-pin with its notch, the oscillating lever and the dog-lever with the draw-bar, cooperate to make the operatin g parts of the look outside the tumblers effective and precise in their actions and secure from being effectually manipulated singly, as the several parts must operate simultaneously to effect the drawing back of the bolt of the lock. The tumblers G are constructed as described in my Letters Patent No. 81,430, dated August 25, 1868, excepting I provide with each tumbler the helical or spiral inner-faced key-hole u, Fig. 7, whereby, when the key T is inserted and turned in the proper direction, its bit will act upon the circular spring R, shown in Fig.

6, to throw the detent-pins z .2 out from the lateral holes 2 2 made in the central wheel G of the tumbler. In myformerpatentl use akeyhole made with ahelical surface, but the said helical key-hole was made in a fixed piece having no connection with the tumblers, and was intended to be used with a key provided with a single bit combined with several successive shoulders to press against the several circular springs in the tumblers, and the consequence was that the combined pressure of the several springs exerted avery considerable pressure on the one bit of the key and the said single helical key-hole, to cause an excessive abrasion of the same; butin the improvement above described each helical surface key-hole in each tumbler and each of the several bits receives the pressure of the single spring of each tumbler, when the key is operated; consequently each hit an d its key-hole is made to sustain only the pressure of its own spring, and is thereby preserved from excessive wear or friction. T is the key used to set up the combination with which this look may be set, and consists of the shaft y and the several bits y, placed at distances apart to correspond with the distances between the key-holes of the tumblers, and ranging in line with each other.

The manner in which this lock and key is to be operated to set up any particular combination is as follows: The key is thrust into the key-holes of the several tumblers to the full distance allowed from the inner side of the lock, when it, the key, is turned seveneighths of one revolution; then the spindle knob is turned to bring the several numbers or letters previously determined to their set, when the key will be turned oneeighth ofa revolution, to complete its full revolution when the key is to be withdrawn. Being thus set, no party other than those knowing the combination can be able to operate the lock to open the same.

The several improvements are at once simple, eificient to eifect a precision of operation of the several parts, and guard against the successful manipulations of others ignorant of the combination on which the lock is set.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the conical connectin ghub 0, provided with the flange b and the nut D, with the case A, bearing the screw-threaded projectingpiece a, made solidwith the said case, whereby the lock is connected to the conical hub and secured to the door, substantially in the manner specified.

2. The combination of the tapering-formed spindle E with the conical connecting-hub 0, having a correspondingly-tapering hole, and connected to the case A by the screw-threaded projecting piece a, made solid with the said case, and the nut D, when arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The washer-nut c in combination with the tapering spindle E, recessed end of the conical hub G, and screw-threaded projection a, made solid with the lock-case, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the oscillating lever J provided with the catch a, cam-head m, and spring I, with the disk H provided with the cam c, and lever I carrying the dog h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the oscillating lever J, constructed and operating as set forth, with the lever I carrying the dog h, disk H bearing the triple cams and pin q, and the draw-barMprovided with the cam 19, when all are arranged substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the triple cams c 0 0, crank-pin q with the oscillating lever J and draw-bar M, when all are arranged and constructed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The tumbler G provided with the keyhole to, having a helical inner surface, and the circular spring B carrying the detaining-pin 2, which engages with the lateral hole 2:, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a permutation lock the employment of the setting-up key T having several bits 3 3 in combination with the tumblers G G having each a spring, R, carrying the detaining-pin z, engaging with the lateral holes 2 z of the said tumblers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses:

ALEX. SELKIRK, CHAS. SELKIRK.

T. J. SULLIVAN. 

